GROUP FELLOWSHIP

 SPRING 2002 MARCH 5/7

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT’ ‘WALKING THE WALK’ – and not merely talking the talk

MATTHEW 6.1-18: WALKING IN SINCERITY IN OUR RELIGION

INTRODUCTION: TRUTH AND INTEGRITY IN OUR RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

Hypocrisy in religion! This is perhaps the world’s most strident criticism of Christians! But it is also the subject of Christ’s most solemn cautions to his followers. In this week’s passage, Jesus teaches us about the importance of total integrity in the practice of our acts of religious devotion. Lapsing into hypocrisy is so easy for believers and so scandalous to unbelievers. So we are warned about the dangers of degeneration in our devotions; of proud ostentation and empty repetition. We are reminded that there is an evaluation of all we do; and we are given truths that should keep our religious practices free of insincerity and pleasing to God.

• THE DEGENERATION OF ACTS OF DEVOTION
• What ‘acts of righteousness’ (or actions of religious devotion) does Jesus mention here? Discuss them together.
• Are they the only ones? The major ones?
• How important are they?
• Do they (should they) play a part in our religious life?
• What factors does Jesus indicate as being possible causes of the corruption of such good and praise-worthy things?
• What does he indicate as a possible corrupting factor…..

…… in our giving?

…… in our praying?

…… in our fasting?

• How would it manifest itself if we slipped into such things in our worship today? What would be the tell-tale signs?
• How in our worship and devotion can we avoid……

…… proud ostentation?

…… vain repetition?

• Do Jesus’ words here imply that none of our acts of devotion should be done publicly?

(e.g. should not even the Church Treasurer know what we give? And should we only ever pray in private?)

• What important principle is Jesus laying down?

• THE PRESERVATION OF INTEGRITY IN OUR ACTS OF DEVOTION

Jesus stresses vital truths here that should exclude all hypocrisy from our practices.

• The evaluation of our acts of devotion! Is our religious practice evaluated? How? And by whom? (What does Jesus’ teaching imply about these things?)
• What two sentences are repeated (word for word) three times each in this week’s passage? Think about what they say.
• They warn us about two very real, but very different sorts of reward and gratification we can gain from our religious devotional practices.
• What are they? How are they in conflict?
• How do they compare? What is the relative power and attraction of each?
• Are you aware of them in your worship?
• Of whom, exclusively, should we think in our acts of devotion? In what different ways can thinking of other people and their reactions and opinions of us influence us, hamper or inhibit us, or form a temptation for us in our worship and devotional practices?
• Is it hard to think only of God?

REMEMBER: HYPOCRISY CONSISTS OF EITHER:

Making a proud public show of what we should do humbly in private

(or) Not doing I private what we make a show of doing in public.

PS 51.6 ‘Surely you deserve truth in the inner parts.’